A
Peek into a typical Sathya Sai Organization circular
Date:
03-26-02
This letter from the International or Overseas Chairman, I. Shah, the chief capo of the GodFather. It eminently demonstrates the emptiness and uncertainty of the language used is dozens of such dreadful self-important but largely meaningless letters I have had to read when in the Organisation. My comments are in red. Robert Priddy
SATHYA SAI ORGANISATION OF AUSTRALIA & PNG
Registered Office: 8/84 St Georges Crescent
Drummoyne NSW 2047
Release 32
The following has been received from Shri Indual Shah via brother Hira. We would request everyone concerned to kindly assist by compliance. COMMENTS IN RER PRINT (Is a Shri also a brother? Or something higher?)
"Deputy International Chairman, as you know, (yes, we know, we know) under Divine directions has been assigned to make materials on spiritual contents useful to activities of Sai centres overseas. He will be sending materials to Zonal Chairmen who will in turn arrange to send necessary materials keeping in view national laws and traditions, to Regional Coordinator, or Chairman Central Council or Chairmen Coordinating committee or Sai centres at grass root level with further instructions and action plan arising out of matters at different levels. This is to involve all concerned with action plans.
COMMENT:This vague, almost helpless waffling speaking of nothing is the usual Shah façade; while the real ‘business’ is done by private and confidential contacts.
The service activities or educational activities or administration will be guided by International chairman till 31.7.02 when we will have a fresh review of Organisation.
COMMENT: (Already being worked out on high by Shah and cronies, same procedure as the last time, for all to put their name to.)
It is also now necessary that Chairman of every centre when they visit Prashanthi Nilayam must make it a point to meet Deputy International Chairman and brief him about the activities of the centre with ideas, how best to strengthen the Organisation for serving Devotees. For this Chairmen of Sai Centres should contact Sri Hejmadi, Secretary at overseas organisation office who will fix the meeting. Please to issue necessary circular.
COMMENT: All mere ‘spin’, but without balls, it's just not cricket! They talk of ‘serving Devotees’, but it is always the other way round in fact, they tell devotes what THEY (i.e. I. Shah & cronies) want!
I have also to request you to kindly write to all Chairman of Central Council, Coordinating Committee and country Coordinators of each wing to be present at Guru Poorinima (if they can) conference when I wish Deputy International Chairman can meet them to assess invisible base of the foundation of the Organisation and find ways and means how to strengthen same.
COMMENT: The usual ‘time-wasting, waiting, empty celebrations’ where nobody listens to anyone but the bosses and have to sit through SB’s long, boring discourses with zero new ideas. But what is this "invisible base"? Your guess is as good as mine… this is the vague style that says nothing as it is - so popular with SSO directives. I suggest the’invisible base’ could mean those grass-root service workers who really do something for those who really need it, but who the big shots really think should be ‘seen but not heard’. The best way to strengthen the invisible is to leave it to itself, free of ’management interference’!
We are preparing a report for Dr Jumsai to have a talk on Radio Sai on the activities of Educare all over the world including Sai Schools. May I request you to compile the work done on Bal Vikas, EHV and Educare in your region and send a consolidated report to Dr Jumsai with a copy to the Deputy International Chairman"
COMMENT: Publicity, publicity, publicity, trying rather desperately to find something to crow about… exactly what the great Avatar has in past years said time and again has nothing whatever to do with true service! Not any longer, though! Such hypocrisy! Now anyone is free to bore themselves to death listening to endless Telugu discourses with the same old half-translated platitudes repeated endlessly via world-wide digital radio!
All reports as requested in the above circular should reach me not later than the 30th of April 2002 to enable me to consolidate same.COMMENT: ‘To consolidate’ seems to be yet another new term for ‘weed and censor’ in the usage of Sai leaders.
Those who would like to attend the meetings as envisaged in this circular are kindly requested to send in their details, not later than 30th June 2002 to:
Jay Jethwa
National Coordinator - International Affairs
P.O. Box 301
Armadale Vic 3143
03 9589 1665 (Ah)
Kindly state Name (first and last in that order), Male or Female, Position Held, Address, Phone & Fax number and e-mail address if any.
sgd. T Sri Ramanathan
Regional Central Coordinator
Australia & Papua New Guinea
14th March 2002
COMMENT: The word ‘kindly’ is standard Prashanthi speak (As SB says, ‘Always be nice in word, if you can’t in deed!), used to split infinitives mostly. Presumably, it tries to say something like ‘do this’ or ‘obey that’ to its captive, puppet-like audience.